Electric furnace.



J. E.' HEWES.

ELECTRIC FURNAGB. APPLmL'HoN FILED snPTJ, 1905.

969,622. Patented septh 6,1910.

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ELECTRIC FUBNAGE.

Y V APPLICATION FILED SBPTH?, 1905. 969,622, Patented spn 6, 1910.

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unirse rarasr carros'.

JAMES E. HEWES, or PLATTsBUne, NEW Yoan;

Be it known that LJAMES E. HEwEs, of Plattsburg, in the county of Clinton and State of New York, have inventediau-Improvement in Electric Furnaces, of which the following is a specification.v

My invention has reference to electric yfurnaces and consists of certain improvements which are fully set forth in the following specification and shown in the accompanylng drawings which form a part thereof. j v

The object of my invention is to provide a sim le construction of electric furnace esecia ly adapted for smelting carbon and imc in the production of carbid of calcium, in which the support for the materials to be smelted shall be capable of traveling past two oppositely` directed electrodes.

In carryingiout the embodiment of my invention l provide two oppositely directed electrodes between which the electric `arc passes and between which at a slightly lower elevation a traveling sectional hearth is em.

ployed for supporting the materials to be smelted, said hearth consisting of a series of carriages having bottoms and sides but no endsv and abutted end to end to form a long trough-like structure. As this hearth travels, Vthe carriages or sect-ions are added l at one end and removed with the smelted product at the other end. The electrodes are supported in water jackets combined with means for suitable adjustment.

My invention also comprehends details of construction which, together with the teatures above s ecified, will be better Lindexstood by re erence to the drawings, in which:

Figure l is a longitudinal sectional elevation of an electric furnace embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a cross section of same on line 2-2 of Fig. l; Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the same; and Fig. 4 is an elevation at the delivery end of the furnace adjacent to the carriages.

A is the furnace body and has the cooling chamber extension A leading to the rear. A chimney R may carry oil the gases and products of combustion. Extending through the furnace body and extension are the rails I forming a track.

H are a series of carriages running upon 'the track and having bottoms and side walls but no end walls. These carriages abut so Speci'eation of ilettersllatent. Appuumonmea seitens-r 7, isos. serial No. 277,305.

ELECTRIC EUBNACE.

Patented Sept. 6, 1910.

"as-'to form a long trough-like hearth sepa-` rable in sections and into which the materials to be smelted are deposited through the feeding chute S. The sides of these carriages slope outward at the top so as to easily remove the smelted roduct and unsmelted burden. The carnage sections are added to the hearth at one end and removed at the other end so that in effect there is a contmuous traveling hearth within the fur-. nace body. These carriages may be driven 1n any manner desired, but as shown the bottom ofthe carriages are provided with racks el and engaging therewith is a pawl` K which is reciprocated by lever L and cam M.

rlhe electrodes C C extend into the body of the furnace at rightangles or transversely to the trough-like hearth and so as to be slightly above the top of the sides of the said carriages. rlhese electrodes are supported in water jackets B,.B, which are movable upon guide grooved rollers D. The water jackets receive the water by pipes F communicating with a source of supply by insulated tubes F", and the heated water runs ed by pipes G so that its flow may be observed. FEhe electrodes and their jackets may, if desired, incline slightly (see dotted lines .fe-fc) or be horizontal as desired, the i essential feature being that they shall be arranged for adjustment transversely to the travel of the hearth. lt is important that the overflow of the water Jrom the water jackets B j shall be seen because if from any cause the water be stopped and then started again there would be an explosion and damage as the jackets would become very hot.

rlhe jackets B B are adjusted with their electrodes by rack and pinion gears E. lhese pinions are rotated by shafts U 0 which are in turn rotated by worm wheels N N and worms P P, the latter being secured upon a shaft which may be rotated by hand or power. rlhis shaft G is made in two parts connected by an insulating coupling O so as to keep the two electrodes C C insulated from each other. By rotating the shaft 0 both electrodes C C are adjusted 7 the mixture of lime and carbon is allowed to vremain in the carriages unfu'sed to act as e y escape.-

of the as shown in Fig. 3. In

this way thelmaterials and gases cannot nd mixture of the pro ortion of 60 pounds of lime and 40 poun s of .carbon is `fed through chute -S into thehearth H and the 'electrodes C C are brought together and then gradually separated to forman arc which pla s across the material to 'be smelted. en the material is fused, the current passes through it as it advances in a progressive manner. When the furnace y is in normal operation the ends of the elec' trodes4 are preferably about four inches apart. The carriages forming the hearth are fed along at approximately twelve inches per minute. It will be seen that the cal- -cium carbid which ismade will be moved awa from the arc at right an les to the electro es as fast as it is made, ut enough of an insulator of heat and electricity.

-I may use either .constant current Ior alternating current, or a currenti-*bf constant quantity or 'variable quantity as preferred. The speed of the hearth may-be constant orr variable as desired. If the speed of the l furnace combined with two electrodes di rected toward eachother fronfopposite sides hearth is uniform, `the -current employed may be kept constant by regulating the Idistance between the electrodes. 'The elec- 'trodes C C receive current of oppositel of the furnace body, a traveling. troughshaped hearth made in separable sections having bottom and sides only, means for vmoving the sections of the hearth through the furnace in a rectilinearline, carriers or supports for the electrodes having means for i being kept cool,and means for adjusting the lcarriers or supports.

2. In an electric furnace, the body of the furnace combined with two electrodes directed toward each other from o ,posite sides of the furnace body, a trave lng troughsha edhearth made in separable sections havmg bottom and. sides only, means for moving the sections of the hearth throu h the furnace in a rectilinear line, water jac cts for supporting the electrodes, and means for adjusting the water jackets to or from each other.

, 3. In an electric furnace, the combination of a trou h shaped travelin hearth, means to feed t e hearth -in the irection of its length, electrodes adapted to strike an arc and maintain a :fusing zone in the hearth extending toward the hearth from opposite sides thereof, water jackets for sipporting the electrodes, means consisting o lgearing and shafts for adjusting the water' jackets to or from "each other extending across the hearth so as to adjust both jackets 'simul- 'taneously vin opposite directions and provided with means for operating itfrom each side ofthe hearth, and means tovrnaintain a supply of water through] the water jackets durinlgltheir adjustment. l y

4. an electric furnace, a sectional trough` sha hearth, means vto feed the hearth in t e direction ,of its len hf, two

electrodes directed toward each -ot er over the electrodes and arranged upon.. opposite taneously moving the water 'ackets to or from each other' consisting o two sets of gearing, a common power shaft for driving j means the hearth, hollowcwater jackets supporting sidesoff the furnace, and means for slmuly In testimonyof which invention, here- 4 untoset my hand.

` JAMES' E. Hawes. Witnesses.: o l' VIc'mn F. Borsa, P. J. TWINING. 

